Wick-supporting device



Patented June 28, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE WICK-SUPPORTINGDEVICE Constant E. Nicolet, Westport, Conn., assignor, by mesneassignments, to Airkem, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication June 26, 1945, Serial No. 601,638

Claims.

This invention relates to improved devices for removing unpleasant odorsfrom rooms by means of evaporating volatile fluids in the area whichhave a tendency to neutralize, and, in many instances, absorb thefoul-smelling or deleterious constituents in the air.

Many volatile fluids, when dispersed by evaporation throughout an area,have the ability to purify the air and impart more pleasing odors to it.In accordance with usual practices, a wick of some character is allowedto project from an open bottle or other receptacle containing such afluid. The wick is of the usual woven material which is quite limp, andaccordingly only a short length is allowed to project from the bottle,since if a longer length is projected from the container it would falldown over the sides.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide animproved wick-supporting device which is desirably secured to theundersuriace of the closure cap for the bottle or other receptacle, thedevice imparting rigidity to the wick and permitting a desired lengththereof to be drawn from the bottle and to remain in upright positionrelative to the bottle opening for such period as is desired. Moreover,the operation of withdrawing the wick from the bottle is accomplishedwithout the necessity of the hands of the user contacting the moistwick. The devices of the present invention are simple and inexpensive toconstruct, and never get out of order. They may be used fordisinfecting, for deodorizing, fumigating and generally for purifyingthe atmosphere.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an evaporator embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wick-supporting plate.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Anevaporator forming one embodiment of the present invention isillustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, incl., the device comprising an elongatedplate or shank preferably stamped from sheet metal. At its upper end, itis cut longitudinally inwardly a short distance, and for the length ofthe cut the bifurcated terminals are bent in opposite directions to aplane generally at right angles to that of the plate, thus formingoppositely-facing tabs H which are provided with holes [2. Rivets 13pass through such holes to firmly secure the wicksupporting element orplate to bottle cap I4 which is adapted to be received on the neck l5 ofa bottle iii. The cap is formed with the usual internal screw thread llmatching with the threads on the neck of the bottle, the cap serving asa fluid-tight closure when the device is not in use. Adjacent the upperend of plate ill, the material is struck in opposite directions, forminghooks 20 disposed on opposite sides of such plate. The lower end of theplate is bifurcated, and such bifurcated terminals are similarly bent inopposite directions, forming hooks 2| on opposite sides of the plate.

In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the wick 23 is shown as being formed in twoseparate pieces of similar shape. Each piece comprises a length ofabsorbent material which is folded, as at 24, thus forming an innerportion 25 and an outer portion 26. Adjacent its upper end, innerportion 25 is formed with an aperture 21 which receives an eyelet orgrommet 23. Also adjacent their lower ends, both portions are formedwith aligned apertures 3B which receive an eyelet 3|. The distancebetween eyelet 28 and eyelet 3! is less than the distance between hookmembers 20 and 2| when the wick is not under tension. When it is desiredto mount the wick on the holder, the upper hook 20 may first be passedthrough the eyelet 28, and the lower ends of inner and outer portions 25and 26 of the wick then pulled downwardly, thus stretching the fabric.The wick is thus pulled down a sufficient distance to permit lower hook2! to pass through eyelet 3 I. When tension is released, the partsoccupy substantially the position shown in Fig. 2. The same operation isrepeated on the opposite side of the plate H] with anothersimilarly-formed wick, and the device is now ready for use.

It will be noted from an examination of Fig. 1 that the width of thewick-forming material is greater than the width of the bottle neck.Thus, when the wick is to be used for dispersing the volatile fluidthrough the air, the cap l4 may be unscrewed and the wick drawn upwardlya desired distance, thus exposing the upper portion of the wick to theair. Due to the fact that the width of the wick-forming material isgreater than the width of the bottle opening, the wick will remain insuch elevated position due to the frictional engagement between thesides of the wick, which are slightly compressed, and the walls of thebottle opening. One of the particular advantages in this arrangementresides in the fact that the wick may be drawn upwardly a desireddistance relative to the bottle neck, thus exposing a relatively smallportion thereof for small rooms,

or a larger portion for larger areas. The showing of Fig. 1 is, ofcourse, exaggerated, since the width of the bottle opening need not beas small as is shown relative to the width of the wick.

It will beappreciated that the wick may be used during its normal life,and when it has become frayed or otherwise worn, due possibly to theaction of the chemicals contained in the bottle, the wick may be readilyremoved by placing the lower end under tension and removing the hookportions from the holes.

It is tolbe understood that the invention is limited neither to the moredetails or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodimentshown herein, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated form orembodiment of the invention may be made without departing from theprinciples thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a wick and a supporting device therefor, the combination of anelongated plate, hook portions struck outwardly from the plate adjacentopposite ends thereof on each side of the plate,

v and wick portions supported at their upper ends on each side of theplate by such hook portions, each wick portion comprising a length ofwickforming material folded at substantially its center to form a wickportion of .double thickness, the inner fold carrying an eyelet adjacentits upper end, both folds carrying an eyelet atazpo'int spaced from itslower end, the upper and lower eyelets, when the wick. portions are freefrom tension, .being spaced apart a distance less than the distancebetween the upper and lower hook portionson each side of the plate, suchhock portions passing through such eyelets and supportin a wick portionon eac'hsideof theplate while under tension between such eyelets, theWick portions being of .suflicient cross-sectional area to support theWick assembly in elevated position through frictional contact between.the wickand the neck of the vessel, the lower terminals of the wickportions being of sufficient length to project .intothe fluid when thewick assembly is in such elevated position.

.2. Means for evaporating a volatile fluid from a receptacle comprising,in combination, a closure cap for the receptacle, a wick-supportingdevice secured to the lower surface of the closure cap and-a wick.carriedby such device, thesupporting device comprising an elongatedplate and oppositel-y-bent hook portions adjacent opposite ends of theplate on each side thereof :for supporting the upper portions of thewick on each side of the plate, said wick portions having openingsformed therein which, when the Wick is free from tension, are spacedapart a distance less than such hook portions on each side of the plate,the hockportionsreceiving such openings in the wick portions andsupporting the latter while under tension, the width of the wick beinggreater than the width of the receptacle opening to provide support forthe wick assembly a desired distance above the receptacle throughfrictional engagement between the Wick and the receptacle opening, thelower portions of the wick being of sufficient length to project intothe fluid when the wick assembly is in such elevated position.

,3. Means for evaporating a volatile fluid comprising a receptacle forthe fluid, a closure cap for the-receptacle, a wick-supporting devicesecured to the lower surface "of the closure cap and a wick carriedhysuch device, the supporting device comprising an elongated plate formedat its upper end with portions lying perpendicular to the plate, suchportions being secured to the closure cap, and oppositely-bent hookportions adjacent opposite ends of the plate on each side thereof whichare struck from the plate for supporting the upper portions of the wickon each side of the plate, said wick portions having openings formedtherein and which, when the wick is free from tension, are spaced aparta distance less than such hook portions on each side of the plate, thehook portions receiving such openings in the wick portions, supportingthe latter while under tension, the Widthpf the wick portions beinggreater than the .width of the receptacle opening to provide support forthe wick a desired distance above the receptacle through frictionalengagement between the wick and the receptacle opening, the lowerportions of the wick being of sufiicient length to project into thefield when the wick assembly is in ,such e'levated position.

4. In :a wick assembly for evaporating fluids contained within a vesselwhich is open at its upper end, combination of a closure cap for thevessel, :an elongated plate secured at its upper end to the lowersurface of the cap, wick-engaging hook portions struck fromthe plateadjacent upper and lower ends thereof, and a wick, the upper section ofthe wick being provided with spaced eyelets which receive the .hookportions and support the up er .sectionof such wick while under tension,such upper section being of suitcient cross-sectional area tosupport thewick assembly in elevated position through frictional contact betweenthe wick and the neck of the vessel, the lower section of the wick beingof sufiicient length to project into the fluid when the .wick assemblyis in .such elevated position.

.5. In a wick and a supporting device therefor, the combination of anelongated plate, oppositely-disposed ,hook portions struck outwardlyfrom the plate adjacent opposite :ends thereof on each side of theplate, the upper section of wick portions supported on each side of theplate by such hook portions, each wick portion comprising a length .ofwick-forming material folded at substantially its "center to form a wickportion of double thickness, such 'upper section of the wick portionscarrying spaced eyelets which, when the wick is free from tension, arespaced apart a distance-less than the distance between the upper andlower hook portions on each side of the plate, such hook portionspassing through such eyelets and suppor-tinga wick portion on each sideof the plate while under tension between such eyelets, and handlemeansat the upper end of the plate for drawing such plate :upwardlyfroina container of volatile fluid, the upper section of such wick portionsbeing of suflicient cross-sectional area to support the wick assemblyinelevated position through frictional contact between the Wick portionsand the neck pf-the vessel, the lower section of the wi k por ns beingof :suific-ient length to project into :the when the wick assembly is insuch elevated position.

CONSTANT E. NICOLET.

IREEERENCES CITED The following .referenlces are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 200,096 wSmit-h Feb. 5, 1878337,164 Kidney Mar. 2, 1886 488,530 Roberts Dec. 20, 1892 525,646 Cox.Sept. 4, 1894 1,329,143 Rogers J an. '27, 1920 1,954,719 Barger Dec.18, 1934 2,243,752 Dunaway May 27, .1941 2,362,903 Keim Nov. 14, 1944-Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,474,606. June 28, 1949. CONSTANTE. NIOOLET It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printedspecification of the above numbered patent requiring correction asfollows:

Column 4, line 11, claim 3, for reecptacle read receptacle; line 13,same claim, for the Word field read fluid;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these correctionstherein that the same may conform to the record of the case in thePatent Oflioe'.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of November, A. D. 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommz'ssz'oner of Patents.

